Adhyakshaprachara Adhyaya 24 Sutra 27 - Arthashastra | French | Vedapath

Kautilya

Sutra 27

Devanagari script

सर्वजीजानां तु प्रथमवापे सुवर्णोदकसम्प्लुतां पूर्वमुष्टिं वापयेदमुं च मन्त्रं ब्रूयात्प्रजापतये काश्यपाय देवाय च नमः सदा । सीता मे ऋध्यतां देवी बीजेषु च धनेषु च ॥ कZ_०२.२४.२७ ॥

Transliteration

sarvajījānāṃ tu prathamavāpe suvarṇodakasamplutāṃ pūrvamuṣṭiṃ vāpayedamuṃ ca mantraṃ brūyātprajāpataye kāśyapāya devāya ca namaḥ sadā | sītā me ṛdhyatāṃ devī bījeṣu ca dhaneṣu ca

Translation

Lors du premier semis de toutes les graines, il doit d’abord semer une poignée aspergée d’« eau d’or », et réciter ce mantra : « Hommage à jamais à Prajāpati, à Kāśyapa et au dieu. Que la déesse Sītā me fasse prospérer — dans les semences et dans les richesses. »

Word by Word

सर्वबीजानाम्of all seeds

तुbut / indeed

प्रथमवापेat the first sowing

सुवर्णोदकसम्प्लुताम्(a handful) well-soaked with gold-water

पूर्वम्first / beforehand

मुष्टिम्a fistful

वापयेत्should sow

अमुम्this (following)

चand

मन्त्रम्mantra / sacred formula

ब्रूयात्should recite / should say

प्रजापतयेto Prajāpati

काश्यपायto Kāśyapa

देवायto the god

चand

नमःsalutation

सदाalways

सीताSītā (goddess of the furrow / agriculture)

मेmy

ऋध्यताम्may (she) prosper / thrive

देवीthe goddess

बीजेषुin the seeds

चand

धनेषुin wealth / in riches

चand

Entities Mentioned

Prajāpati

Kāśyapa

Sītā-devī

FAQs

Why embed a mantra in an administrative agriculture chapter?

Ritual acts can coordinate collective practice, reinforce legitimacy, and psychologically anchor compliance and optimism around state farming and revenue cycles.

What does ‘Sītā’ signify here beyond a deity name?

Sītā is also the ‘furrow’—a symbol of cultivated land and fertility—linking religious language to the material aim of higher yields and revenue.